Variable-speed mechanism.



PATENTED NOV. 17, 1903. N. 1). CHARD. VARIABLE SPEED MECHANISM.

APPLIGATIQN FILED JULY 28, 1903.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1v N0 MODEL.

1': NORRI! PETER; 00., PHOTO UTHO.. WA SHINGTON. n. c.

No..'744.678. 1 PATENTED NOV/17,1903.

N.D.GHARD.

VARIABLE SPEED MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28,1903. no MODEL. 2 SHEETS;SHEET z.

m ll"! tion, in which- UNITED STATES fatented November 17, 1903.

PATENT OFFI E.

NICHOLAS D. CHARD, -or CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR o THE LODGE &

'SHIPLEY-MACHINE rrooLooMP NnoF CINCINNATLOHIO, A CORPO- RATION.

-VARIABLE'-SIPEE DYM ECHANISM".

SPECIFICATION formingrpart of Letters Patent No. 744,678, dated November 17 1903. Application filed July 28, 1903., Serial No. 167,364. (No man;

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NICHOLAS D. CHARD, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Gincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usef ul Im provernents in Variable-S peed Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates toa speed-variator in which a plurality of different-diam'eter'gearwheels are disposed on parallel shafts and intermeshed, means being provided for simultaneously clutching any selected pair of intermeshed gear-wheels to their two shafts, re- 'spectively. I

Myinvention particularly relates to the construction and arrangement of the keys by means of which the clutch is efiected.

The features of my invention are more fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings, makinga part of this specifica- Figure 1 is a central horizontal section, partly in elevation, of my device. Fig. 2'is an enlarged sectional view of the. shifting 'clutchmechanism. Fig. 3 is a section on line mm, Fig. 2, but showingthe gear-fwheel mounted in elevation on the shaft. Fig. 4 is an en'- larged detailed diagram'view in section, showing the relation of the engaging keys ofshifting member and gears. vation of myimprovement. view. Fig.7 is a detail plan view of the camdisk. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view of the sleeve, actuating-gears, and disks. Fig. 9 is a detail plan view of the devices shown in Fig. 8.

1 represents the casing, in which are jourf naled the parallel shafts 2 3. The casing is provided with arms 4, having collars containing the'Babbitt metal 5, forming a journalbearing for the hubs of the oppositely-intermeshing gear-wheels 7 8 9 1O 11 12 13 14 and 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22, supported in said collars loosely relative to their concentric shafts 2 a-nd'3. The collars are provided with oilducts a,'formed therein and at the abutting position of the gear-wheel hubs. 4

23 represents a gear-whee] on the drivingshaft 2 for rotating the same, and 24 represents apulley-wheel on driven shaft 3 for conveying the power to the machine on the floor.

Fig. 5 is a side ele-v Fig. 6 is an end 25 represents the shifting members. As shown and preferred, they are sleeves sliding on shafts 2 and 3. Their projecting ends are provided'with rack-teeth 26. 27 28 represent intermediateintermeshing gear-wheels-meshing also with the rack-teeth 26 and constitutemployed, if desired; but preferably four are employed, as shown. The keys 31 on the sliding sleeve of the driven shaft 3 are placed opposite the keys on the sleeve of the drivingshaft,'but extending beyond the same at each end. This isindicated by diagram in Fig. 4.

The sleeves 25 are preferably two-part sleeves, as shownin Fig. 2, each sleeve having a member 30, carrying the keys. These members are secured by the internal coupling collarsection 32, so that they slide in unison on their contained shaft; but the member is rotatable and keyed to the shaft. As a re sult of the arrangement of keys 31 when the keys of the sleeves are presented to the keys of the gear-Wheels the keys on the driven shaft 3 will be first presented in either direction of movement of sleeves,,as shown in diagram, Fig. 4, in which the key of the sleeve on the driven shaft is already engaging with the key 29 of the driven gear-wheel before the key 31 of the driving-sleeve has been presented to the key 29 of the driving gear-wheel. Therefore the keys of the driven sleeve will be already partially engaged, fixing the 'selected driven gear-wheel to the drivenshaft before the selected driving gear-wheel has been keyed to its shaft. This prevents all binding or shock to the keys.

33 represents the main driving-shaft, from which power is conveyed to the shafts 2 and 3 bearing the variable-speed gear-wheels.

34 and 35 represent driving right and left hand pulley-wheels loose on shaft 33 and adapted to be fixed thereto by the shifting clutch 36.

38 represents a lever pivoted to the casing and engaging rod 37 for controlling the clutch 36. (See Fig. 5.)

39 represents a gear-wheel on the end of the shaft 33.

40 represents an intermediate gear-wheel journaled in the end of the casing and connecting in train gear-wheel 39 on shaft 33 and gear-wheel 23 on shaft 2. Gear-wheel 23 is loose on shaft 2 and disconnected therefrom and connected thereto by means of the shifting clutch 41.

42 representsarod for shifting the clutch 41.

Following is the description of the mechanism for shifting the sleeves 25 and for shifting the clutch-rod 42.

43 represents a turning rod provided with a handle 44. One of the gear-wheels 28 is loose on the turning rod 43. The other gearwheel 27 is loose on a short stub-shaft 45. (See Fig. 6.)

53 represents a fragment gear-wheel fixed on turning rod 43. Gear-wheel 27 on stubshaft 45 is equal in face width to both gears 28 and 53, with both of which it meshes. The fragment-gear 53 is spaced to move the keys 31 in positive steps, either into gears from an intermediate idle position or out of gears into an intermediate idle position. These gearwheels 27 53 have the projecting hubs 46, (see Fig. 6,) which are provided with the interlocking disks 47, which have coacting projections and recesses 48 and 49, as shown in Fig.3, the function of which is to lock the gear-wheels 53 and 27 in their positions of rest.

50 represents a cam-disk mounted on the turning rod 43 and having the cam-groove 51, as shown in Fig. 7.

52 represents a rod connected to the rod 42 at one end and the other end being provided with an antifrictional roller engaging with the cam of the cam-disk 50.

Assume the keys 31 to be in position fixing any selected pair of gear-wheelssay 8 and l6-to the shafts 2 and 3, respectively. If it be desired to make a change of position, handle 44 is rotated in the proper direction. In the first part of this rotation through the instrumentality of the cam-disk 50 and the shifting rods 52 and 42 the clutch 41 is disengaged, leaving the gear-wheel 23 loose on shaft 2. Therefore the following sliding of the keys on theirshafts occurs while the shafts 2 and 3 are free from the load. When the keys 31 begin their new engagement, one sliding in advance of the other, they become fixed on the gear-wheels while the load is still off. The completion of the rotation of the handle 44 throws in the clutch 41. The intermeshing of the interlocking disks 47 looks the gearwheels 27 and 53 in position with the keys 31 either in an intermediate position between two given gear-wheels or in position of engagement with a selected pair of gearwheels.

It will be understood that the keyed sleeve in the driven shaft is stationary while the keyed sleeve on the driving-shaft is rotating therewith and that by the elongation of the keys on the driven sleeve it is insured that the stationary or driven gear-wheel will be keyed to its shaft before the driving gearwheel is keyed to its shaft. Hence when the key of the driving-sleeve is engaged into a selected driving gear-wheel, fixing it to its shaft, it finds that the driven keyed sleeve has already fixed the opposite driven gearwheel toits shaft, and hence both gear-wheels start their rotation without any jar and without the danger of binding or smashing the keys which would be apt to occur if these driving and driven keyed sleeves were presented absolutely simultaneously to the gearwheel keys for interlocking. This is an important and necessary feature in practice essential to a smooth and safe operation.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a speed-variator, a shaft, a series of loosely-mounted gear-wheels of different diameter, a member shifting internally of the gears, the gears having an internally-projected hub-key, the shifting member having an externally-projected peripheral key, and said keys being tapered at their ends to pass when axially presented and to interlock when rotatively presented, substantially as specified.

2. In a speed-variator, apair of shafts, intermeshing gear-wheels of different diameter loosely supported relative to the said shafts, oppositely-disposed keys on said shafts in ternal of the gears, tapered at theirends, one of said keys overlapping its opposing key at each end, and means for shifting said shafts, substantially as specified.

3. In a speed-variator, a pair of shafts, intermeshing gear-wheels of different diameter loosely supported relative thereto,oppositelydisposed keys on said shafts, adapted to fix any selected pair of intermeshing gear-wheels to theirrespective shafts, said keys being tapered at their ends, the key on the driven shaft extending beyond each end of the co acting key on the driving-shaft whereby it travels slightly in advance of the shorter key in axial movements, and means for shifting said keys, substantially as specified.

4. In a speed-variator, a pair of shafts, in-

keys of one of the shifting members engage the gearwheel keys first, substantially as specified.

5. In a variable-speed device, two parallel shafts, intermeshing pairs of difierent-diameter gear-wheels loose thereon, sliding keys between said gear-wheels and shafts, racks forslidingsaid keys, a turn-rod, a gear-wheel loose thereon, a gear-wheel fixed thereon, a stud-shaft, a gearwheel thereon in mesh with both gear-wheels on the vturn-rod, said gear-wheels forminga driving-train between said racks, substantially as specified.

. 6. In avariable-speed device, two parallel shafts, intermeshing pairs of difi'erentdiameter gear-wheels loose thereon, sliding gearkeys between said gear-wheels and shafts, racks for sliding said keys, a turn-rod, a fast and loose gear-wheel thereon, a stud-shaft, a gear-wheel thereon in mesh with said turnrod gear-wheels, said gearwheels connecting in train said racks, and one of said gearwheels being a fragment-gear for sliding the keys in positive step movements, substantially as specified.

7. In a variable-speed device, two parallel shafts, intermeshing pairs of different-diameter gearrwheels loose thereon, sliding keys between said gear-wheels and shafts,'racks for sliding said keys,'a turn-rod, a parallel stud-shaft, intermeshing'gear-wheels thereon connecting in train the racks, a driving-wheel on one of the main shafts, a clutch between said main shaft and driving-wheel, a cam on said turn-rod, and connections between said cam and clutch for shifting the clutch intermediate of the sliding of the keys, substantially as specified.

8. .In a variable-speed device, twoparallel shafts, intermeshing pairs of difiorent-diameter gear-wheels loosethereon, sliding keys between said gear-wheels and shafts, racks for sliding said keys, a turn-rod, a parallel stud-shaft, a train of intermeshing gearwheels between said rod and stud-shaft in mesh with said racks, one of said train being a fragment-gear to slide the keys in step movements, a power-wheel on one of said main shafts for driving, a clutch between said shaft and wheel, a cam on said turn-rod, and connections between said cam and clutch to shift the clutch in time movements relative to the step movements of the sliding keys,

. substantially as specified.

9. In a variable-speed device, two parallel shafts, intermeshing pairs of different-diameter gear-wheels loose thereon, sliding keys between said gear-wheels and shafts, racks for sliding said keys,a turn-rod, a parallel stud-shaft, a train of intermeshing gearwheels between said rod and stud-shaft in mesh with said racks, one of said train being a fragment-gear to slide the keys in step movements, interlocking disks on said turnrod and stud-shaft to partially lock the gears. in their steps, substantially as specified.

10. In a variable-speed device, a drivingshaft, two parallel shafts, pairs of intermeshing gear-wheels of different diameter loose on said parallel shafts, keys sliding between said gear-wheels and their shafts; a train of gear-wheels between said driving-shaft and one of said parallel shafts, clutch mechanism mounted on said parallel shaft in clutching relation with one gear-wheel of said train of gear-wheels, mounted onsaid parallelshaft for imparting motion thereto, and means for shifting said clutch, before and after the shifting of said keys, substantially as specified.

, 11. In a speed-Variator, a pair of shafts,'in-* termeshing pairs of different-diameter gearwheels loosely supported relative thereto, clutches sliding inside of said gear-wheel bores adapted to fix any pair of intermeshing gear-wheels to their shafts, the said gearwheels being ofgreater width than the said slidingclutches, whereby an intermediate idle position is given the latter, means for driving one of said shafts, and means for simultaneously shifting the said clutches in positive step movements into and out of the gear-wheel bores, substantially as specified.

12. In a speed-variator, a shaft, a two-part sleeve thereon, one of said sleeves being fixed to turn with and slide on said shaft, the other sleeve being fixed to the rotary sleeve member so as to slide therewith on the shaft without turning, a plurality of different-diameter gear-wheels loosely supported relative to the said sleeve, the rotary sleeve member having a keyed engagement independently with each of the gear-wheels, whereby anygear-wheel isfixed to its shaft, and means for shifting the said sleeve on said shaft, substantially as specified. I o

13. In a speed-variator, ashaft, a two-part sleeve thereon, one of said sleeves being fixed to turn with and slide on said shaft, the other sleeve member being fixed to the rotary sleeve member so as to slide therewith on the shaft without turning, a plurality of different-diametergeanwheels loosely supported relative to the said sleeve, the rotary sleeve member having a keyed engagement independently with. each of the gear-wheels, whereby any gear-wheel is fixed to its shaft, means for shifting the said sleeve on said shaft, the said rotary sleeve member being of the width of each of the gear-wheels, and the said gearwheels being spaced the width of the rotary sleeve, whereby the clutch is given an intermediate idle position, snbstantially as specified.

' 14. In a speed-variator, a pair of shafts, a-

pair of gear-wheels of different diameter loosely supported relative to said shafts, a

shifting member for eachshaft loosely fitting the diameter of the gear-wheel'bores, the said shifting members, having a plurality of diametrically-opposed keys, and each gear-wheel bore having a corresponding number of keys, the keys being tapered at their ends to automatically pass when theshifting members are axially presented to a given pair of gear- 7 &

Wheels, means for actuating said shifting members simultaneously, means for driving one of said shafts, a clutch for controlling the said drive, and means for shifting the said driving-clutch,whereby the shifting members of the differential gear-wheels are moved when the drive is off, substantially as specitied.

15. In a speed-variator, a pair of shafts, interineshing pairs of gear-wheels of different diameter loosely supported relative to said shafts, means for driving one of said shafts, a shifting clutch controlling said drive,clutches sliding within the bores of said gear-wheels adapted to fix any selected pair to their shafts, said gear-Wheel clutches having racks, an operating-rod, a train of gear-Wheels actuated by said rod and intermeshing with said racks to shift the difierential gear-clutches simultaneously, and cam shifting devices actuated by said rod to shift the driving-clutch after a selected pair of intermeshing gear-wheels have been clutched to their shafts, substantially as specified.

16. In a speed-variator, a shaft, a series of speed-changing gear-wheels loosely supported relative thereto, a shifting member sliding within the bores of said gear-wheels, the meeting surfaces of said bores and said shifting member having a plurality of interlocking keys tapered at their ends,whereby the shifting member is adapted to fix each of said gearwheels to said shaft when axially presented thereto, and means for actuating said shifting member, substantially as specified.

17. In a speed-variator, a pair of shafts having intermeshing pairs of difierent-diameter gear-Wheels loosely supported relative thereto, sliding clutches within said gear-wheel bores, oppositely placed on said shafts, said clutch members havinglateral extensions provided with rack-teeth, an operating-rod, and a train of gear-wheels between said operating-rod and rack-teeth adapted to simultaneously shift said clutches in either direction, one of said train of gears being a fragmentgear adapted to actuate said shifting clutches in step movements, substantially as specified.

18. In a speed-variator, a frame, a shaft a series of gear-wheels thereon each having extended hubs the ends of which abut, bearingcollars supported by the frameand interposed between said gear-wheels and forming bearings for said hubs, and oil-ducts formed in the bearing-surfaces of said collars, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

NICHOLAS D. OHARD.

Witnesses:

OLIVER B. KAISER, LUIsE BECK. 

